HARVEST Farm
by PenDrop
Summary: It's Harvest Moon, but it's not the game. A boy must learn to farm or how can he win the heart of the girl he loves?
1. Chapter 1

So I decided to write my own Harvest Moon life. Usually, I would play til I get married. Yeah, that's the only reason I would play through it. Pathetic, huh? Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it!

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H.A.R.V.E.S.T Farm

Somewhere out in the Harvest Moon Universe is a little town called Olfa. In that town, a new life starts for our protagonist. However, little does he know that not everything in Harvest Moon is easy and cheatable like a video game. No, he'll find that building this new life is as hard as the real world, and filled with much more.

Spring 2: The day After New Year's

Part 1

The Sun had just risen over the mountains, and it's light shined all over Olfa. Everything slowly woke up from its slumber: chickens shook their feathers, townspeople opened their window sheets, and the nature around them seemed to come to life. The only one that wasn't aware of this vibrant day was a new resident of the town. He was a young man, 15 years of age, and a farmer of the town. He did not choose the life of a farmer; it was forced onto him. After his parents died, he and his little sister were forced to live with their grandfather. Unfortunately, news did not reach to them that their grandfather was indeed dead already, for 2 years now. Pitying the two orphans, the mayor decided to give them their grandfather's land, and also promised them a peaceful life. The farm was named H.A.R.V.E.S.T by their grandfather, and they accepted it hesitantly. Now it was the next day, and their new life will start here. "Oh…" the boy mumbled in his sleep. "What is that light…?" He shielded his eyes from the Sun and turned on his other side. Suddenly, his sister kicked the door open.

"Wake up, Chase!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

"What!" Chase asked, falling out of his bed. He landed on the floor, face first. His sister pouted and crossed her arms.

"You were supposed to wake up!" she said in a stuck-up attitude. "FIVE MINUTES AGO!" Chase picked himself up and sat on his knees.

"I'm sorry…?" His sister started shaking to suppress her anger.

"You're sorry, huh?" She turned towards him and yelled, "IF YOU'RE SORRY, THEN GO AND TAKE CARE OF THE FARM NOW!" Chase flinched at the sound of her voice. The yell was so loud it scared the birds nearby and forced them to fly away from the front yard. Then she looked at him with a disgusted face, walked out of his room, and slammed the door behind her. Chase rubbed the back of his head and stood up.

"Sheesh, Lily," he said to himself. Opening his drawer, Chase found his usual work clothes inside: a regular gray shirt, blue jeans, and a gray jacket. He took them all out and put them on. _'Too bad I don't know the first thing about farming,'_ he thought to himself. A little note seen at the side of his eye caught his interest. He grabbed it while putting on his gray shirt. He read the contents of the note to himself. "Go to Ring Farm on the South side of town. They'll teach you the basics of farming." Chase felt anxiety fill up inside him. _'The mayor gave this to me yesterday. But...that mayor. Can he be trusted?'_ chase looked back to the other day. When he first met the mayor, he seemed to be troubled by something. The mayor was fidgeting back and forth will going over his notes, and talked quickly as well. He finished his introduction of himself, the town, and their situation in less than five minutes. Then he zoomed away towards the town, losing one of his shoes as a result. Chase smiled to himself as he remembered the event. _ 'Well, it's my only lead.' _He finished changing clothes and looked at himself in the reflection of the window. Chase was born with auburn eyes and brown hair, but as he grew older, he dyed his bangs black. He straightened his hair so that it was flat and the bangs would come across part of his forehead, just the way he liked it. Then he walked into the kitchen. His sister Lily was busy frying up some eggs, but there was some toast on the table.

"Oliver from the super market was generous enough to give us some eggs for free!" Lily shouted cheerfully. "He's so kind, and handsome too!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"And he's only 3 years older than me! I know we're meant to be!" She clapped her hands together and stared at the ceiling. The spatula was still in her hand, but she didn't seem to notice at all. Chase watched his sister, unsure if he should be disgusted or not.

'Oliver's the same age as me. That's just…weird.' He grabbed two loafs of toast and clamped two sunny-side-up eggs between them. Then he ran out the door. 'She's lost in her fantasies. Now…' He looked around his new farm. There were three fields that were about 5 squares by 6 squares, each at different parts of the farm. One field was situated on the left side of the house, near the unused corn mill. Another field was right next to the pathway leading to the town, but the field was hilly as well as downhill, so the land there wasn't as fertile. The final field was in a funny place for a field to be: in the middle of the farm. However, this field was made for growing grass, and somehow, grass still survived on the field. Inside, a large, old cow was grazing in the morning sun. Chase walked to the cow and patted the side of its body. "Hey, Remu," he said quietly. "You were here when my grandfather was working this farm, huh?" The cow mooed once, as if answering him. Chase laughed. "You're the only animal left from back then. I won't let you whittle away as well, don't worry."

"Oh, I see that you at least know the very basics of basics to taking care of animals," commented an unfamiliar voice. Chase looked over at the new voice. The owner was a boy taller than he was, and perhaps more charming. The boy held himself in high regard, as if saying "You better respect me" with both of his hands in his pockets. He seemed to be slightly older than Chase, but he acted much older. His blue eyes looked at him with superiority and his black hair covered the back of his neck. However, his clothes were still a plain white T-shirt and blue overalls. The boy flipped his hair and closed his eyes. "Well, you're still a total novice at this. You're pretty stupid, aren't you?" Chase decided that he didn't like him.

"And who are you?"

"Hmph! Me?" He looked down at Chase and smiled. "The name's Benjamin Hillstone. I'm from Ring Farm, and we came here to pick you up, since you were taking so long…"

"We?" Chase asked.

"Yeah." He jerked his thumb behind him. "My sister, Kaitlyn, came along." Chase looked over Benjamin's shoulder. A silhouette of a person a little far off was walking up the hill. The shade from the trees blocked his view, so he couldn't see clearly. Suddenly, sunlight poured from the trees, and a girl appeared from the shadows. She was short, and wore a straw beige hat. She wore a light blue dress that came to her ankles, and it shined in the light. But what shined the most were her soft blue eyes, which seemed to melt away Chase's earlier anxiety. When she made it to the top, she smiled at the joy of it. A breeze blew by, for her long brown hair seemed to wave at him. She noticed Chase, and turned her smile towards him.

"Hello," she greeted in a pleasant voice.

"H-hey," Chase returned.

"My name's Kaitlyn. Nice to meet you." Chase stepped out of the field and stood up straight.

"I-I'm Chase. It's very nice to see you." Benjamin glared at the both of them.

"Alright, enough with the introductions," he said, walking towards the city. "Let's get going!"

"Oh," Kaitlyn said, turning towards Benjamin. "Wait, Ben!" He ignored his sister and strolled down the hill. "Oh, geez…" She looked back at Chase and smiled again. "Well, shall we?" Chase couldn't hide his excitement with Kaitlyn smiling at him.

"Sure!" They began walking side by side, and Chase realized that his new life was going to be an interesting one.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

An hour passed away, but they finally made it to the base of the hill. Chase looked back and saw that H.A.R.V.E.S.T farm was on the way up to a cliff. A waterfall cascaded from the side of the cliff, running down into Olfa and feeding a large lake at the center. _'I might go up there, if I ever find the time to.'_

"Come on!" Ben shouted back at them.

"Hurry up Chase," Kaitlyn beckoned, already running ahead.

"Uh, yeah! Wait!" Chase walked into a small circular area with a view of the lake. To the right was two blue buildings, and trees that hid the waterfall's river running into the lake. To the left was a yellow building near the lake and a path leading onward in the town. Ben and Kaitlyn were waiting at the center for him. We made his way to them and looked at them questioningly.

"Over there," Ben began, pointing towards the two buildings, "Is the supermarket. The bigger one is the store, and the smaller one is storage." An idea popped up as Chase heard the word 'Supermarket'. He walked to the front door and opened it. Inside were a few shelves filled with everyday necessities, a counter, and two doors at the upper-left corner, one on the left wall and another on the back wall. Manning the counter was none other than Oliver Gliver. He was the same height as Chase, but Oliver was much more muscular, probably due to the heavy lifting that is required in his job. Oliver wore a brown T-shirt, beige pants, and a striped tie. He also had brown slit eyes and blonde hair that spiked in about every direction. What Lily saw in Oliver, Chase didn't know.

_'I think Lily needs an eye check.'_ Oliver spotted Chase come in and greeted him.

"Oh, hey!" he shouted in a deep voice. "If it isn't Lily's older brother!" He moved over and reached out his hand for Chase to shake. Chase ignored the gesture and stared him straight in the eyes.

"My name's Chase," he said forcefully. "And if you know what's good for you, you'd leave my sister alone." Oliver took a step back, feeling Chase's anger.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Chase took a step forward.

"You know what I mean," Chase said, poking Oliver's chest, "you player!" Oliver began growing nervous, and Chase knew it.

"W-well," he stuttered, "I've got to go and…sort out the merchandise in the back…" Oliver slowly moved into the door on the back wall and exited the room.

"What's going on here?" asked a new voice. A woman entered the room through the other door. She was like Ben in a way; she held herself proudly. But she had a determined face, as if everything she did had to be with her all. She had a red bandana covering the front top of her hair while the other half was short, exposed blonde hair Not necessarily bad, but not very friendly either. The woman walked up to Chase and stared him down. Chase felt like he was growing smaller and smaller. "Are you bullying my son Oliver?"

"N-not really…" Chase answered. Chase stared at the woman's orange eyes for a while. Then she cracked a smile and started laughing to herself. Nervously, Chase laughed with her.

"I'm just kidding!" she admitted.

"R-right…" She slapped his shoulder and stopped the laughter.

"My son could learn from a little bullying anyway! So you're the new farmer at H.A.R.V.E.S.T farm?"

"That's right," Chase said, regaining his courage. She took his hand and shook it vigorously.

"The name's Wendy Gliver. I'm the storeowner!" Chase let go of her hand and glanced at her clothing. Wendy had on a yellow long sleeved shirt and a green skirt. Over it was a white apron that had some small stains on it. Her arms were slightly built from hard labor. All in all, she looked like a storeowner.

"I'm Chase Lore," Chase introduced. He looked around and began leaving the store. "Well, I've got a busy day ahead of me. I might come here later, but for now. See you tomorrow!" She waved at me, and I closed the door behind me.

"You done?" Ben asked, irritated.

"Yeah, let's continue."

As they walked through the town, Chase got to meet more and more townspeople. The town is actually based all around the giant lake, so they went all around the lake to get to Ring Farm. Chase met Jay, a fisherman that lived in the other house that they saw, and his wife Julie. They both seemed to be an old couple, but Chase thought that Julie was a little scary after he commented on it. It seems that Olfa was their honeymoon spot, for some strange reason. The next place they came to was the town plaza, a big area where they saw the traveling merchant, Jun. He tried to sell Chase some Relaxation Tea Leaves, but Ben told him that they were fake. Jun wore a simple white robe and sandals, but inside were more fake Relaxation Tea Leaves. They left Jun and found the mayor's home, which was actually pretty small for the mayor of the town. It was a small wooden house. No paint, no decoration, just wood in house form. The mayor didn't seem to be around. "He's always busy," Kaitlyn told Chase. The final building there was a big church, containing many artifacts and rocks. Chase couldn't tell if the church was used for religious purposes or excavation purposes. "There's a mine behind the church," Kaitlyn remarked. "The preacher often goes mining and offers the gems to the Harvest Goddess."

'_Is it me, or is every important person here constantly busy?'_ They left the plaza and came along another area Kaitlyn likes to call "The Best Place to Be!". There was an inn, a flower shop, and a house that housed a photographer. The inn was two stories tall, and the usual tenants there were the owner's family and a few travelers. But the inn was closed, so Chase couldn't meet them. The flower shop was painted pink and surrounded by various types of flowers: the brilliant Moondrops, the cute Pinkcat flowers, the fluffy Toy flowers, the hot Firefly flowers, and even some Blue and Red Magic flowers. The photographer's house was, as Ben and Kaitlyn described, "Scarier than you can imagine"! Chase made a note to visit this area on his own later. Following the road leads to lead to two different routes. One route went more into the woods, while the other kept along the lake.

"In there is the Wood Cutter's place," Ben explained, pointing towards the woods path. "You can't get your farm rebuilt if you want there."

"But don't look into Flint's eyes," Kaitlyn warned. "He doesn't like it. Just talk to his puppet."

"His puppet?" Chase asked them.

"You'll understand," they both said. They took the lakeside road, and, they finally came to their destination. It was the final area of the town, containing a mansion and a large farm. Chase couldn't help but let his mouth fall wide open.

"Ring farm is supporting the Quinst mansion there," Kaitlyn said proudly.

"Heh! We sure are great, giving the great Quinst family so much fortune!" Benjamin gloated. "In fact, WE ARE THE GREATEST FARMERS WHO EVER LIVED!" Ben started laughing hysterically while looking up at the sky. Kaitlyn turned away from him, embarrassed.

"Let's leave Ben in his own world," she suggested. Chase nodded, and walked to a big house by the fields of the farm. Kaitlyn opened the door and shouted, "We're back!"

"Yay!" a little boy shouted in return. "Sis is back!" The little boy suddenly appeared and hugged Kaitlyn, though it was more like he hugged her legs.

"Hey, Theo," she said to the little boy while patting his head.

"Oh, so the new farmer's here?" asked a male's voice.

"How pleasant!" a female's voice remarked. Chase looked into the room. A couple was sitting on a dining table having tea. The man was very muscular, and masculine as well, with his moustache. His dark brown eyes stared at Chase, trying to size him up. The woman was a bit round, but that did not stop her from doing farm work, or house work, for that matter. She was like an adult version of Kaitlyn: kind blue eyes, long brown hair tied up in a bun, and a smile that seemed to warm Chase's heart. The little boy Theodore, or Theo, was, in a way, like his father, for he was the only one who inherited his father's eye color. His hair was ruffled up and short, and he was a rascal inside. Chase couldn't help but feel the loving atmosphere that was illuminating from the family. Then he remembered how his own family was like, and was a bit envious of them. The man of the house stood up and shook his hand.

"Hey, there Chase," the man greeted, giving him a firm handshake. "I've heard everything about you from the mayor. I'm Fredrick, but you can call me Fred."

"Nice to meet you, Fred."

"And I'm Cali," the woman added. "I'm sure you'll find it amazing to be a farmer."

"She's right at that!" Fred agreed. "Why don't we show you a few pointers, though?" Fred walked out of the house with Chase and led him to a close field. "Here's our strawberry field."

"Why aren't they ripe or even sprouted yet?" Chase asked.

"Well, we planted them yesterday."

"Yesterday! But don't strawberries grow year round!" Fred laughed at Chase's suggestion.

"You've been living in the city for too long Chase!" He bent down and picked up some dirt. "Strawberries are a spring crop. You can only plant and harvest them in the spring."

"Are you serious!" Chase couldn't believe it. _'Was farming this restricting!' _

"Yep. So remember to make sure you plant the right crops at the right season." They left the fields and soon came upon a few barns and stables. Fred whistled, and a dog ran towards him. The dog was small, brown, and had floppy ears. And he was obedient as well as energetic. "Hey, Picker. Come see our new friend, Chase!" The dog Picker looked over at Chase. He ran to Chase started sniffing his shoes.

"Hey, buddy," Chase said while patting Picker. "Who's a good dog?"

"There you go, Chase. Always pat your animals to keep them happy." Picker decided he was bored of staying still and ran back to the house. Fred walked on into the barn. The interior held many cows and sheep. Fred took out a brush from his rucksack and started brushing a cow. "Remember to brush your animals daily, Chase."

"Right!"

"Why don't you try?" Fred asked, handing Chase a brush.

"R-really?"

"Yeah. I haven't brushed them yet, so help me out, will ya?" Chase hesitantly looked around, and after finding a docile sheep, began brushing it. The sheep made a small _baa_ sound as Chase went up and down. As Chase went on with the other animals, he found that he quite enjoyed brushing animals.

"Alright, we're done!" Chase handed Fred back his brush, but he shook his head.

"Keep it. I know old Remu's still on the farm. She'll need some brushing from her new owner, don't you think?" Chase smiled and nodded.

"Yeah!" Then they left the barn and moved to the chicken coop.

"For some reason, chickens are happy when you lift them off their eggs," Fred explained as he lifted a chicken. "I guess it makes them free to move, but I'm not sure myself." Chase tried to lift a chicken, but it cawed at him and poked his head with its beak, multiple times. "Hahaha, the chickens have to entrust who gets the eggs, Chase! Don't lift one up if it doesn't trust you!" Chase rubbed his head and quietly watched Fred work. After Fred collected the eggs, they went back to the house, and by that time, the sun was setting. "So Chase, remember to water your crops everyday. And to keep your fields clean of any fallen wood, stones, or weeds. Don't rush everything, or you'll end up with no stamina and a lot of fatigue."

"Yeah, yeah, I've got it down already!" Sitting on the house's porch was Kaitlyn, waiting for the both of them.

"Hey!" she cheered as they came back. She ran down the stairs and towards the two farmers. "So did Chase learn anything?"

"I'll say. He's learned not to mess with chickens!"

"Hey! I didn't know it would attack me!" Chase complained. Kaitlyn giggled at Chase, making him blush.

"Oh yeah!" she exclaimed. She looked in her bag and pulled out some onion seeds. "Here! This is for good luck for your farm!" She handed them to Chase, and he accepted them with nervous hands.

"Th-thanks," Chase stuttered. He felt his body give way and he fell onto the floor.

"Chase!" She help him to his feet, but he was about to fall once again.

"I-I guess I'm really tired all of a sudden."

"Here, I'll walk you home," Kaitlyn offered. She put his arm around her shoulder and began walking back to his farm. Chase's heart was beating like a drum.

"Oh, no you don't!" Ben shouted from the house's window. He zoomed out and pulled Chase's arm off of Kaitlyn. "I'll do it!" Then he shouldered Chase instead and pulled his face close to his. "There is no way that I'm going to let Kaitlyn fall for an idiot like you…!" he said quietly to Chase.

"Oh…" Chase said nervously.

"Well, the more the merrier!" Kaitlyn stated. They walked the pathway back up the hill, but Chase though it was more like he was forced back up. Night fell as they neared the town plaza.

"Wow…" Chase said, looking up at the sky. "The stars are beautiful!"

"They are, aren't they?" Ben asked.

"Yes," Kaitlyn agreed.

"Chase…" called a hidden voice. Hearing the call, Chase looked around him, but he didn't see anyone. "Chase…!" the voice called again. Chase looked back and forth, and then something caught his eye. At the top of the cliff, where the waterfall fell, Chase saw a shining light. Squinting, Chase could make out the outline of a person. It seemed like the person was moving his mouth in the words "Chase". Then Chase looked further and discovered it was a girl. She had green hair that was tied up into a ponytail and shining blue eyes. That was all Chase could notice about her. It was enchanting, as if Chase was seeing an angel. His eyes were glued to her.

"Hey Chase!" Ben yelled, shaking him up.

"Wha…?" he asked in a dream-like state.

"Don't fall asleep on me now! We're almost there!" Chase saw that he was right. They were already walking uphill to the farm.

"I saw a lady up on the waterfall…" Chase said, pointing up to the cliff.

"What? You're confusing the real world with your dreams!"

"No, I really did see it!"

"Tch. Whatever." They stopped at his house and knocked on the door. Lily opened it and let Chase come inside. "It's your sister's problem now. Later."

"Goodbye, Chase," Kaitlyn said with a smile.

"B-," Lily shut the door before Chase could finish the last two letters. She walked into the kitchen and continued making dinner. "Hey! What was that for, Lily!" He chased her into the kitchen until he was stopped by her spatula.

"You want dinner? Then be quiet!" she spat at him. Chase glared at her for a second, then gave up.

_'It's not worth it…'_ He went into his bedroom but didn't turn on the lights. _'I'm so tired… I'll just sleep with my clothes on…'_ They Chase jumped into bed and fell asleep without another word.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm sorry if it seems a little messy. I might rewrite it later, but its this way for now!  


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Spring 3: What to do in Your Spare Time

Part 1

For some strange reason that Chase couldn't figure out, he woke up at 6 A.M on the dot. He tried to snuggle in his bed and sleep some more, but his mind wouldn't let him. He stayed awake in his bed for five minutes. Finally giving up, Chase got out of bed and almost opened his drawer when he realized that he was wearing his work clothes already. _'Oh yeah, that's right. I fell asleep right after I got home. I wonder if that's why.'_ He walked into the living room, but Lily didn't seem to be awake. Chase wanted to sit on the couch and wait for his sister to wake up and cook breakfast, but then he heard the cry of his cow, Remu. _'I guess I'll take care of the farm first,' _he thought hesitantly. Opening the door, Chase felt the cool spring breeze embrace him. He shivered, and decided he should be constantly moving to keep warm. He ran into the barn located at the top right corner of the farm. Remu, being an old cow, was sitting in its pen, without even acknowledging Chase. While walking up to the cow, Chase took out his brush. _'Ok, just like Fred taught me.'_ First, Chase patted Remu, and Remu lifted its head. _'He wants to be patted more,' _Chase realized. He continued patting the cow, and then began brushing its side.

"Maooo…" Remu moaned.

"Ha, ha. You like that, don't you Remu?" Chase asked the cow.

"Maooo…" the cow replied.

_'This is actually kind of interesting. I think I might like to do this job.'_ When he was finished, Chase tried pushing Remu out of the barn and into the grassy field. But the cow sat in its spot. "Aw, c'mon Remu!" He leaned close to Remu's head. "There's some yummy grass outside! Plus, I hear you can see the other cows in Ring Farm from there!" That seemed to motivate the cow long enough for Chase to push him into the field. "There!" he shouted, closing the gate. "Now don't wander off, ok?"

"Maooo…!" Chase began walking back to the house when he saw the field right next to it.

_'That's right. Kaitlyn gave me some seeds to plant. I think I should plant them.'_ So Chase walked near the soil of the field and took out his onion seeds from his rucksack. Noticing the squares, Chase thought that he should drop four seeds into each square. When he finished one bag, nine squares were sprinkled with onion seeds. _'Ok. Gotta water them now!'_ Chase walked to the other side of the house and found an old watering can in the tool box. He looked around for a water source, but none was in sight. _'How can I water my crops with no water?'_ He searched some more, and found a well right behind him._ 'Aha! There you are!' _After dipping the watering can into the well, he lifted it into the air. The weight was more than he expected, and he almost spilled the water! _'Whoa! This can is…suddenly heavy!'_ Taking one step at a time, he moved back to the field. Then he watered one square at a time, until all the ones with seeds in them were watered. Chase wiped his forehead and sighed. _'This can get tiring…'_ He put the watering can into his rucksack, which fit surprising well. Then Chase stood proudly at his handiwork. "Alright! I'm done! Farming isn't so tough!" he shouted. He checked his watch. It was 8:15 A.M. "What! Two hours passed!" Chase could've sworn that it was more like fifteen minutes. _'I guess farming feels shorter than it actually is.'_

He leaned on the house and watched the sun already half-risen. _'In any case, I've got some free time now. Where should I go?'_ the sound of rushing water pierced his ears, and Chase remembered where he first promised to go explore. He looked for a pathway up, and sure enough, there was one that was near the barn. Chase began running up the path, but due to his earlier farm work, he didn't get very far. "This…" he said, breathless, "is tough…!" It took him 45 minutes to reach the top. And it would probably take him that long to go back down too. At the top of the hill was a clearing, filled with various berries, flowers, and wild animals. Squirrels ran by with nuts in their mouths. Some even had some herbs. Chase walked into the calm paradise, but the movement scared the animals. They hid in the trees, quietly watching Chase. "What? Where did everyone go?"

"Arf!" Chase jumped and scanned the area for the source of the sound. Coming out of the bushes, a small orange dog sneered at him. It had pointed ears and a small, busy tail. In any other case, it would appear to be quite cute. But here, it was baring its teeth at Chase, and barked at him again. "Arf!"

"Whoa! N-nice doggy…"Chase said nervously. He slowly back away from the terrifying dog.

"Arf, arf!" The dog ran after Chase.

"Ah!" Chase started running away, with the dog chasing him. They ran in a circle around a stump, over and over again. Finally, Chase jumped onto the stump, and the dog followed. "Stop following me!" Chase cried. He ran to the other side of the clearing, but the dog didn't follow. Chase took the chance and bent over to catch his breath. "Hah…hah…I'm so tired now…" They stared at each other's eyes, when finally the dog backed down and retreated back into the bushes. "Whew…" Chase turned around and continued on his journey to the cliff. Past the clearing was a river, and that river led down to the waterfall. Chase watched as the river continued down, but there didn't seem to be a way around it. He looked upstream, and found a wooden bridge elevated over the river. "That's the ticket." Chase crossed the bridge carefully, hearing creaks every so often. He gave a sigh of relief when his foot touched the other side. Then he followed the river downstream until he came to his destination: the cliff. He stood a good way away from the tip of the cliff, and looked out at the town. The only thing visible from where he stood was the other side of the lake. It sparkled in the morning sun, and a few ducks could be seen wading in the water. Curiosity got the best of Chase, and he walked up to the very tip of the cliff. From that point, Chase saw the whole town of Olfa, and all its beauty. The town was already up and about, moving left and right to do their daily chores. It was a sight to behold. Chase saw Oliver and Wendy moving boxes from the storage into the shop. They didn't seem to have any trouble at all carrying even the big boxes, about 50 pounds each. Looking further, there was Jay, fishing his troubles away, while Julie nagged him about having a nice evening with only the two of them. In the plaza, Jun was selling some apples to Fred, but Fred politely declined. Suddenly, Chase caught a glimpse of the mayor. He ran out of his house, and into the church. All in a single second. _'The mayor sure doesn't waste any time.'_ Up ahead was the inn, flower shop, and the photographer's house. That seemed to be the only place with no activity, which flared Chase's curiosity. Chase could even see the wood cutter's house from the cliff. It was a similar design to the mayor's house, but it was much bigger and had a chimney. Chase wanted to visit there as well, on a different time. Over at ring Farm and Quinst Mansion, two servants, a butler and a maid, were zipping back and forth from the two spots. Back in the field, Chase could make out Fred and Cali watering their fields of strawberries and other crops. _'They're more busy than I am, that's for sure.'_ Beyond there was just mountains, and Chase couldn't see any farther than that. '_Olfa town is a valley in the mountains, so it's given that I can only see the town from here.'_ Chase stood there admiring the view for ten more minutes before thinking that he should go back. So he made his way back to the bridge. This time, he was more confident that the bridge would hold him up, so he took no time to get to the middle of the bridge. But then he heard a familiar sound that made him freeze on the spot.

"Arf!" the orange dog from before barked.

"Oh no…" Chase whispered. The dog was on the bridge, and his mouth was over one of the sticks holding up the bridge. "Good doggy. Nice doggy. Don't break the bridge now…" The dog bit down hard and broke the stick. Instantly, the bridge started leaning to the right side. The dog moved over to the other stick supporting the bridge. If he broke that one, then the bridge would collapse. "Don't do it!" He commanded to the dog. "You can't just kill innocent life like that!" But it was too late. The orange dog closed its mouth, and the supports on one side were broken. The bridge lost its tension and fell to one side, dropping Chase into the river. "Ah!" he shouted as he plummeted into the water. He hit the surface hard, but he was able to put his head above the water after. The dog sneered at Chase again, but the ground underneath it began crumbling.

"Arf!" the dog barked again. The sound was the trigger, and the dog fell into the river with Chase. The dog struggled to stay afloat, and Chase could see it was drowning, fast.

'_I can't let this dog die,'_ was his single thought. He desperately swam up the stream to where the dog was, but it was no to avail. The river was becoming faster the farther down they traveled. Suddenly, a rock caught Chase's eye, and he took hold of it. The weight of the water pushing down hit him instantly, but he held on. The dog was coming fast, giving Chase only one chance to catch him. One second passed, then another, and Chase grabbed out for the little dog. At first, he felt the flow of the water, but then the weight of the pushing hit him again. He realized that the dog was in his arms, but the added weight was too much for him to handle. _'I'll have the dog…stand on the rock. I'm sure someone will save him. As for me…'_ Chase didn't let his thoughts make him doubt anymore. Slowly but surely, he pulled the dog out of the water. "Just…sit. Sit on this rock, doggy. Someone will…" A splurge of water came into his mouth, and he almost choked on it. Chase coughed several times, each making his grip on the rock slip away. _'Gotta…make..it…!'_ The dog was nearly on the rock. Suddenly, a heavy push, almost like a fish, hit Chase, and he lost his grip. They made their quick descent down the river. _'Well…this is it!'_ Chase and the dog neared the end of the waterfall. But before they fell, Chase looked out at the town again. It was still as beautiful as ever, even from the waterfall. _'I've barely got to see this town. But, I guess that's life.'_ They both closed their eyes as they left the weight go away. Then gravity took over, and they plummeted down, towards the downpour of the waterfall.


	4. Chapter 4

Part 2

Chase was free falling down the waterfall, the orange dog yelping in his arms. Water drops sprinkled off the cascading wall and splashed his face. Chase's eyes were closed, afraid to see his own death. The waterfall was a deep drop, so for a second, Chase wondered _'I haven't died yet…?'_ Suddenly, water rushed up his nose, forcing him to open his mouth and bring more water he heard a giant splash, muffled away in the water. Chase felt weak, as if his body had been thrown against a tree. But he was alive, for the moment at least. The dog took on less damage because of its small body, but it didn't take much to kill a dog. Chase couldn't hold onto the dog any longer, and it slowly rose to the surface, while Chase descended deeper into the darkness. _'My new life was supposed to be great…! But now, I find myself dying in the town's lake…'_

The sound of a girl giggling pierced his mind. "You're not in the lake, silly…!" the voice claimed. "You're in the Harvest Goddess pond…!"

'_Harvest what…?'_

"Don't worry… Just sleep…" The girl's voice was as soothing as a lullaby. Chase couldn't keep himself awake anymore. The strain was too much for him, and he slowly lost consciousness.

The swishing sound of waves climbing and falling was something Chase thought he'd never hear. He was awake, but he was hesitant to open his eyes. _'If I open my eyes, what will I see?'_ Oddly, he didn't feel any pain at all, even though he had just fallen off a waterfall. But that didn't convince him enough to open his eyes. _'C'mon, Chase. You gotta open your eyes sometime!'_ Something cool and wet was brushing his face. Chase slowly opened his eyes to peek at what it was. A sad, orange dog was licking Chase's face in a desperate attempt to wake him up. Chase meant to close his eyes immediately after, but the sight of the sad dog shocked him greatly. "You…?" he asked weakly.

"Arf!" the dog barked enthusiastically. His bushy tail shook from side to side, and he continued to lick his face.

"Ha, ha. Ok, ok, I'm getting up!" Chase pushed himself off the ground and stood straight. He found himself on a shore leading up to the lake. The surrounding scenery was trees and grass, and up the slope Chase could see the little tip of a roof

"Arf!" the dog barked again. Chase bent down and patted the dog's head.

"So you like me now, eh?"

"Arf!"

"Do you wanna be my dog then?" The orange dog didn't answer, but his tail wagged eagerly and his tongue was hanging out from his mouth. Chase hasn't seen a happier dog than now. "Alright. Well, what should I call you then?" Various names came to Chase's head, not one of them a good one. If there was one thing Chase could never be good at, it was giving names. "I'll name you…Doug!" The newly named Doug looked at him hesitantly. "What? Don't like it?" The dog stopped moving for a second, and then Doug started wagging its tail. Chase smiled. "Let's go check out where we are." They began walking up the shore, Doug at Chase's side. The area they were in at the moment was where he had seen only the other day. The familiar inn gleamed in the sunlight. Chase forgot to check his watch, and when he did, he jumped. It was already 3:00 P.M.! Chase began running back to his farm, determined to make it before 5.

Suddenly, the crashing sound of a bucket echoed through the plain. "Ah!" cried an unfamiliar voice. Chase stopped moving and looked momentarily. The noise came from behind the flower shop. He remembered how Kaitlyn liked the shop so much.

'_Maybe I should go check if they're ok.'_ He ran to the side of the shop and found the back entrance. Opening the gate, he glanced at the backyard. It was a floral garden, filled with even more flowers than the front. Bees could be seen buzzing from flower to flower. A few birds flew in to watch the show. In the center, a bucket was protruded above someone's head. Chase almost laughed at the victim, but he was able to hold it in. Doug followed in and barked at the new person. "Quiet, Doug," he whispered. Chase walked over to the clumsy person. "Are you ok?"

He unveiled the gardener, almost jumping at the sight. Instead of a frustrated guy, which was what he expected, there was a girl. She wore tight, blue jeans and a T-shirt with a blue star in the middle. Her energetic green eyes, dyed pink hair, bag with floral designs, and petite look made her look just like a flower.

"No!" she shouted at him. "I wasted all of the water!" She was all up in his face, staring angrily. But then the anger subsided. "Oh wait," she said, retreating, "I…don't know you." Chase laughed nervously.

"Yeah, I don't know you either…" They stood there for a few seconds. Neither of them talked, and they just stared at each other for a while. An awkward silence followed.

"Well?" she asked.

"Well what?" Chase asked, confused.

"Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" Chase laughed nervously again.

'_This girl is pretty dense, isn't she?'_ "I-I'm Chase. And you are?"

"My name's Beatrice!" She suddenly snatched the bucket from Chase. "I'll see you later, Chase!" She hurriedly rushed to the back gate. "I've got to go fetch some more water!" She ran halfway to the exit before falling on her face. "Ow…" Beatrice moaned, touching her forehead to cover the bruise. She picked herself up and began running again. Without looking, she pushed open the gate, but a wayward rock underneath her feet tripped her over. Chase couldn't continue watching anymore. He walked towards her and lent her a helping hand.

"You're _really_ clumsy, aren't you?" he sighed. She gratefully took his hand.

"Only today, I guess. It happens when Harvest magic is nearby!"

'_Harvest magic? Is that some kind of joke?_' Beatrice began to run again, but Chase quickly grabbed her wrist.

"Lemme go with you, Beatrice." He took the bucket and walked ahead of her. Her mouth was slightly opened as she smiled. Then she ran and grabbed his free hand.

"I'll show you where to get the water!" Chase blushed like an apple, and he didn't get a chance to let go.

'_Haha. I guess you can never know with this girl._'

When they finished watering the flowers, Beatrice accompanied Chase and Doug on their way back to their farm. "Is that your dog?" she asked him, pointing to the pointy-eared orange animal.

"Yes. His name's Doug." He looked at my dog, and the dog barked back at him.

"Oh?"Beatrice picked Doug up and lifted it above her head. "Well aren't you a cute dog!"

"Arf, arf!"

"Oh…" She glanced back at Chase. "Hey, Chase. You _do _know that Doug is a girl dog, right?"

"Huh?" Chase asked. He had thought that since the dog had a rough nature at first, _he_ would be a _he_. But upon further inspection, the _he_ is a _she_. "You, you're right!"

"Do you want to rename her?" Chase bit his upper lip, secretly disagreeing deep inside his heart.

'_Well, I guess Doug isn't a very good name for a female dog. So…'_

"Ok, sure," Chase said reluctantly.

"Got any ideas?" They stepped onto the town plaza, and at that instant, Chase got an idea.

"Casey," Chase stated.

"Casey? Really?" Beatrice looked at him, unconvinced.

"Really! Don't you think it's a good name?"

"Of course not! That's a horrible name!" Beatrice shoved the formally-named Doug into Chase's face. "Does _this_ look like a Casey to you!" Suddenly, Jun, The Wandering Merchant, appeared before them.

"May I make a suggestion?" He caught both of their attention in a moment. Jun brought out three items out of his sleeves and placed them on the ground. The first was a clean, green apple. The second item was a bronze ore, and the final was a blue book with no title. "Whichever the dog picks, that will determine his name." He smiled at them with hands reached outward.

"Oh, I see…" Beatrice said slowly. She lowered the female dog onto the ground and gave her a small push. The dog slowly walked to the selection and looked at each item.

"Of course," Jun continued, closing his eyes while raising his index finger. "Whatever the dog picks, you must pay for it! Alright~?" He opened his eyes and glanced back at them, but they weren't there. "Wha?"

"She picked one!" Beatrice shouted excitedly. Off to the side, the dog had a plain flower in its mouth, Chase and Beatrice watching her.

"She did!" Chase exclaimed. "So should we name her after a flower?"

"Well, how about we call her Flora?" Beatrice recommended.

"Flora?" Chase asked, grabbing the flower out of the dog's mouth. "Mm…yeah, that sounds nice."

"You hear that, girl?" Beatrice asked, bending her knees. "You're new name's gonna be Flora! Isn't that better?"

"Arf!" Flora barked while wagging her tail.

"Well, let's keep going. We're almost there," Chase said, walking ahead.

"Coming," Beatrice answered, letting Flora walk on her own.

A breeze came by as Jun was left alone once again in the town plaza.

Chase, Beatrice, and Flora were finally at the last area before they would climb upward to the farm. The sun was setting at that time, and the warmth from the light felt like a pat on the back for them. It was already 5, and the market was closed, giving Chase a big relief. As they walked up, Chase saw a distressed Lily and an unmoving Remu. Her hands were pushing Remu, urging her to walk upward, but the cow was glued to the ground. "Lily!" Chase said, running up. She turned back, and frowned at him.

"There you are, Chase!" She stopped her useless efforts and put her hands on her hips. "I've been looking for you everywhere!" He caught up to her, and Beatrice and Flora soon caught up to him.

"Why's Remu out here?"

"Why?" Lily shouted at him angrily. "It's because you forgot to lock the gate!" Chase looked back to previous morning.

'_Come to think of it, I only pushed Remu in there. And then I left quickly after…'_ Lily watched Chase's thinking face with disgust.

"Well," she said, turning around, "it's your problem now. See ya!" She ran up the hill, leaving Chase to the current dilemma.

"She seems sort of mean," Beatrice said in wonder.

"You don't know the half of it…" Chase moaned. He rubbed his hands together, and then tried to push his cow to her feet. Remu didn't move an inch.

"Nggghhhh….!" Chase pushed. "Whew…." He tried again, with the same results.

"Um, Chase?" Beatrice started.

"I got it…!" They stayed that way for about ten more minutes. Tired of watching, the newly named Flora ran up to Remu. Then, she took a big intake of breath, and let it out.

"Arf!" The cow jumped to its feet, and began walking away from Flora. "Arf!" the dog barked again, beckoning the cow to move forward.

"Maybe Flora is a better farmer than you are!" Beatrice giggled

"L-let's just get up there, ok?" Chase said, following his trusty herding dog.

As they neared the top, Beatrice stood to look at the farm.

"Wow…" she awed, "I haven't been up here yet! It's so…like a farm!"

"That's a good way of putting it…" Chase said under his breath. Flora barked again, leading Remu back to the open field. Chase followed and made sure this time to lock the gate. "There!" Beatrice walked behind him, smiling happily.

"Take me on a tour, Chase!" she begged.

"What?" He turned around to an innocent, puppy-dog face. Beside her was Flora with an even more convincing puppy-dog face. Chase couldn't fight it anymore.

"Alright. C'mon…" Chase showed Beatrice the barn and his house, both of which she should mutual interest. It was the crops that she was most enthusiastic to look at. "Right." He turned the corner of his house and spread his arms to present his crops. "I've only started today, so it's not much." Beatrice looked at the empty field before her. Her eyes were filled with sparkles, but soon, those sparkles died away.

"Chase…?" she asked slowly.

"Yeah?"

"Have you even started?"

"What are you talking about? I planted the seeds this morning!" Chase bent over and picked up one of the seeds from the ground. "See!" he shouted, putting the seed in front of her face. She looked at him, puzzled. Then that puzzled face slowly evaporated and replaced by a smiling one.

"Oh~, I see what you did wrong…" she said with a look of understanding. She walked passed him and put her hand on the dirt.

"What? What did I do wrong?"

"You didn't plow the ground," she said plainly.

"What?"

"Look." She came to a side of the house full of tools. She dug through them until she found what she was looking for: a hoe. Holding it as if she had her entire life, she plowed the ground with the tool. The seeds were lost, because they were planted carelessly. "You have to plow the ground first before planting your seeds, silly!"

Chase was baffled, his mouth hanging wide open.

"Then I threw those seeds…"

"…Away. Yep." Hastily, Chase snatched the hoe from Beatrice's hands and plowed the field. When he was finished, he was on the ground, huffing and puffing.

"Haaa… Haaa…" Chase panted.

"You'll lose a lot of stamina that way! And then you'll get fatigued!" Beatrice warned. She giggled at him soon after. "Well, it's the end of the day, so I guess it's ok. Just get some rest." She reached into her bag and pulled out a smaller bag with a picture of a Moondrop on the front. Then, with grace and skillfulness, she sprinkled the seeds all over the field. "These are one of my favorites," she told Chase. "Make sure to give me one when they bloom, ok?" She bowed, and quickly left. Chase sat on the ground, totally defeated and feeling completely like a novice. He picked himself up, dusted his pants, and decided to end the day.

'_Someday…'_ he vowed, _'I'm going to be a great farmer, like my grandfather. But until then…'_ He put the hoe into his rucksack, which somehow held it in. He glanced at it, wondering if it was the "Harvest magic" Beatrice was talking about. Flora suddenly appeared by him, waiting to get inside her new home. He smiled and patted her head. He found it best not to question how weird life there was. He was to return with his new companion to his awaiting bed and angry sister. _'Until then, I'll just have to learn, one step at a time.'

* * *

_Author's notes:

Sorry for the long delay. School's started up again, so I might not write for a while again. I hope you're enjoying the story though!


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